The steel cutting of the first of two new LNG ships for TUI Cruises has taken place at Fincantieri in Italy.

Attending the ceremony were Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI, and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ship Division of Fincantieri, in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at Centro Servizi Navali, a company specialized in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards located in northeastern Italy.

The new ships will be built at the Monfalcone shipyard and delivered in 2024 and in 2026, respectively.

According to a press release, the ships will be 160,000 tons each and form the new backbone of the future of the TUI Cruises fleet.

The order is based on a prototype project developed by Fincantieri which enhances the well-established features of modernity and sustainability of TUI Cruises, a company with one of the most modern and environmentally friendly cruise fleets in the world, according to a press release.

With an innovative product configuration, energy efficiency lies at the heart of the project, with the twofold objective of reducing fuel consumption and minimizing environmental impact, according to the latest industry regulations.

While the ships will run on LNG, Fincantieri is also studying the possibility to make them operate in the future with low-emission biofuels – an important step towards climate-neutral cruising. In addition, they will be equipped with improved catalytic converters (compliant with the Euro 6 standard) and a shore power connection.